The present invention relates in general to a cover plate for a telephone outlet, or the like, and, more particularly, to a split cover plate comprising two plate forming members which may be assembled around a telephone cord, or the like, to avoid any necessity for disconnecting the cord from a telephone, or other equipment, to which it is attached.
The following prior art, all U.S. patents excet as indicated, is relevant:
______________________________________ Patent No. Patentee ______________________________________ 801,536 Marshall 1,221,652 Badeau 1,222,493 Thomas 2,374,993 Haynes 2,761,112 Torcivia 2,828,352 Shewmon 3,056,942 Carbough et al 3,428,936 Arnao, Jr. 3,467,763 Shaw 3,597,526 Boatwright et al 3,729,572 Helin 3,749,815 Boatwright et al 3,864,512 Meadow 939,117 British Patent ______________________________________
The Helin patent constitutes the most relevant prior art and disclosed a split cover plate for a telephone outlet comprising two interlocked plate forming members. The two plate forming members of Helin are relatively lightly interlocked, and are essentially plate halves each adapted to receive one attachment screw therethrough. Consequently, the assembled plate forming members of Helin, when assembled and mounted, do not provide a cover plate which is anywhere near as rigid as a conventional one-piece cover plate.